Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane looked visibly annoyed when questions about his batting strike rate turned into public debate, even as his franchise is still searching for its first win in the IPL 2026. After suffering two consecutive losses, Rahane faced a media grilling in which his scoring rate became the centre of discussion—and his reaction ended up drawing attention of its own.
Rahane’s press-conference response draws reaction
- Rahane, following two back-to-back defeats, was asked about criticism surrounding his strike rate during a press conference.
- Instead of addressing the concern plainly, Rahane took offence and suggested that those talking about his strike rate were “jealous” of him.
- That particular response surprised many observers, including former India opener Virender Sehwag.
- In the same interaction, Rahane was also questioned about why Cameron Green was not being used as a bowler.
- Rahane’s reply was that the question should be directed to Cricket Australia, implying there may be guidance from the board on how Green should be deployed.
- Sehwag said he understood that kind of answer when it comes to Green’s bowling usage, but felt Rahane did not show the same composure when the focus shifted to his own strike rate.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Sehwag said players should not get pulled into such confrontations. He explained that Rahane, as captain, had been asked why Cameron Green was not bowling, and when he did not have a direct response he pointed the question toward Cricket Australia. However, Sehwag contrasted that with the captain’s approach to criticism of his batting, arguing that Rahane should have remained even-keeled.
Sehwag also challenged the logic of turning the matter into a personal exchange. He noted that whenever someone is discussed—whether praised for their scoring or criticised for their style—there has to be a balanced mindset. In his view, there was no need for Rahane to “engage in such fights” over strike-rate commentary.
To illustrate how to deal with pressure and criticism, Sehwag cited the calm approach shown by Sachin Tendulkar, and he even brought up Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, both of whom, in his telling, handled tough questions with grace. Sehwag suggested that such figures often chose not to respond at all, even when critics were loud.
“They seem to be answering the critics, but even Bachchan saab (Amitabh Bachchan) never answered his critics. There couldn’t be a bigger example than Tendulkar; one newspaper had even written ‘Endulkar’, ” Sehwag remarked.
Sehwag then added that the simplest way to silence criticism is performance. He suggested that if Rahane focuses on his work and scores big—such as converting starts into centuries—then the noise tends to fade away. “So, I feel one should keep quiet. Score a century and everyone will be quiet. Keep calm and do your work. What else? I don’t think these things require an answer,” he concluded.
